The Waiting Game

The wait is on, but I was pretty excited to get some new pictures of the boys this week. This whole waiting thing is a killer( Marc and Susan you are my heroes). If we were the norm, we would be traveling this week or next, as most families adopting from Ethiopia travel withing 12-14 weeks of a referral, and we are on week 12 and still don't even have a court date. Supposedly the slow down is one paper of the boy's that was signed by the wrong government agency, but the agency that needs to sign it didn't exist until 3 weeks ago....now they don't know if it has people working there yet. Wow, if this doesn't make you grateful for the good 'ole USA and democracy. We are hopeful that things will progress in the next couple of weeks though because our agency sent a couple people there last week, to see if they could speed things along any. If we don't have our court date by mid July the government closes down for August and September so it would be October before we get to bring them home. If that weren't enough, they are in such a drought that they have to shut the power off, which is generated by hydroelectricity (dams), in the capital for 24 hours at a time followed by 12 hours of power, than 24 off again. This makes it hard for businesses, government agencies, and and everyone to work more than a couple days a week...hence slowing down the adoption process as well. The rainy season is from mid June through August, which usually fills their dams and waterways. So far, they haven't had much rain, so we are praying for that as well.

This is Nate with the camera man, Koby Bryant look a like.

Nate, isn't he handsome, snotty nose and all.

They said Dag didn't like the camera man because he looked like the doctor that gave him shots a couple weeks back.

My Ironman

Yesterday, June 13th, Sam competed in his first (and hopefully last, if I have anything to say about it) Ironman race.   It was a 70.3, or half Ironman, which equates to a 1.2 mile swim in Lucky Peak Reservoir, a 56 mile bike and than a 13.1 mile run.  He has trained for the last 6+ months, exercising like a mad man daily.  He took swim lessons from the pros and now he is a pro.  In the triathlons he has done in the past swimming was always his weakest link, but not now...he knows how to keep himself a float.  Running is a breeze for him, he was a crosscountry/ track star in highschool,  and the bike, well if you have a bazillion dollar bike, you'll be a fast  biker too...at least that was the plan anyway.  I have never seen Sam get nervous for a competition, but this one did it to him.  He hasn't slept good for 2 weeks, worrying about this race.  The race started at 2:00pm because they wanted a night finish, so it was a pooping, anxious morning, but alas the race was on.  He did awesome in his swim, but just as he was getting out the rains came down, and they didn't stop the rest of the day.   The kids and I  had mapped out the course and strategically planned which places we would go to cheer him on throughout the day.  The first spot was about 15 miles into the bike race and we were gathered with about 30-40 other fans, when it started to pour buckets of rain.  Then here comes this biker down the hill and as he goes to take the turn he completely wipes out.  We all groan and moan and then I realize, "Crap that was Sam!"  That's right, he biffed it bad, and messed up that fast bazillion dollar bike, so the rest of the race it rattled and shifted whenever it wanted.  I was a nervous wreck from there on out, and Sicily cried her eyes out worrying that he might crash again.  We are grateful Sam only had some serious road rash and a broken bike, but no broken bones.  He was a total trooper and got back on his bike and rode the remaining 41 miles in the pouring rain, and  then ran his 13.1 miles amazingly.  We are so proud of him.  He is our hero.  We were joking that he won't have to go get an ironman tattoo, because he'll always have his road rash scar to remember it by.   So here are the pictures of the day.

Hallelujah, he is off his bike finally ready to run.

Can you see that rain?

Mile one of the run, and still smiling.  About mile 6 that wasn't the case anymore as his stomach decided it had had enough of this crap for the day.  He was pretty miserable the last 7 miles.

Finishing with his buddy, Rob.

Sam with his training buddies, Brent Chapman, and Rob McBride.

He's an Ironman.

The family after a rainy fun field day.

Ouch on the shoulder

Bigger ouch on his hip

Too Much Fun!!

Memorial Day Weekend is one of my 3 boys favorite weekends of the year because it is the annual BYU Father's and Sons Basketball Camp. It starts on Friday and goes through Monday afternoon, and they really just can't get enough. I don't know what they enjoy the most, the camp, the dorm rooms, or the popcorn shrimp and soft serve ice cream machine in the cafeteria. I hear about it all throughout the year. When I make a yummy lasagna, they always remind me that the best lasagna they have ever had is at the BYU camp after church on Sunday....thanks a lot guys. Anyway, they always come home sufficiently pooped, from lots of play and very little sleep. Sundays at the camp they take a bus up to Salt Lake in the morning to watch The Spoken Word and than they have sacrament in the Tabernacle. After which they have lunch (the good lasagna) at This Is The Place Monument. Later that evening they go to a fireside, usually with a really great speaker. Well, this is the email I received from a friend who is also at the camp, last night during the fireside. THREE SLEEPING BOYS! It must have been really good. We obviously need to go over some sleeping through meetings etiquette, you know, how to look a little more inconspicuous...I'll get my dad right on that.

Oh, and as a side note, Sam did win the free throw competition between all the dads as well as the three point competition. Coach Rose asked him if he had any eligibility left, but too bad for them he is no longer available....although secretly I think he still dreams about it at times.

Sam's Fired

So every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Sam has the job of waking Spencer up for school at 6:30 and having him to the bus stop by 7:03, because those mornings I go to pilates early.  It's not too tough of a job though because I make his lunch before I leave and place it on the counter, I usually help him get his clothes out the night before, his contacts are out, his toothbrush is in place complete with paste and water, and his backpack is packed...with finished homework...that half the time I did.  Okay, okay, am I handicapping my child???  I know, I do way to much for my now middle school child, but it is dang hard for the perfectionist I am to let him get bad grades or look anything but handsome at school each day.  I am not this way with my other kids though, although they don't require as much prodding and encouragement either. But yes, I admit, I have got to get over this, so posting this blog is part of my recovery program.  So anyway Friday at 3:00 Spencer comes home from school in the above outfit.  We forgot to lay out his clothes the night before!!! But really, Sam, help a kid out, plaids and stripes do not go!  Bless Spencer's heart, I started giggling when he walked in the door, and he immediately pointed out that both short and shirt had the same color of blue in them.  Indeed they did.  So here's to letting go.  He is a big boy.  His dad thought nothing of his style, so I'm sure nobody at school even thought twice about it either.  For the next 25 days of school he is on his own, and I am going to be okay.  It is going to be rough for him.  He may have to wake up 15 minutes earlier to do everything himself, but it is good for him...and me.  Bring on the plaids and stripes!

Four Going on Twenty

Sicily is officially older now. She has been begging and wanting to be four now for months. Although, we are a little nervous she might be growing up too fast. All she wanted for her birthday was a wedding gown and Hannah Montana guitar. She immediately put both on and wanted her hair done really pretty for the day with a half a tube of lip gloss as well. I must admit she looked pretty darn cute. However, when Sam came home for lunch he wasn't too thrilled with what he saw. His baby girl in a wedding gown, gone rock star. Later that day we went and saw the Hannah Montana movie, and the girl sang along to every song...some of which I have never even heard before. Scary, for me, but Happy Birthday to Sissy. We love her.

I am very ashamed of this cake, especially since I have sister in laws that can make the most amazing birthday cakes. But, in my defense...cake is not my specialty. I don't like it, never have, and my kids usually choose their favorite dessert for their birthdays. Sicily is just too young to know that you don't choose cake, unless you don't mind a gross Albertsons cake...she will learn quickly...the other 3 have. So we blew out candles on it and than maybe the boys had a couple of bites of it, and the rest went in the trash.

Cutest Kids EVER

What an exciting, and emotional two weeks it has been. I'm telling you, I am a blubbering mess. I can hardly talk to anyone about these boys without tearing up, and than if I keep going it turns into full out bawling. It has also been an amazingly spiritual experience for me. I have felt closer to my Savior and Father in Heaven in the past 2 weeks than almost any other time in my life. Amazing is the only way to describe it.

I had pictures here, but I found out we aren't supposed to post pictures of the children until we pass through court.

Ethiopia Here We Come

Monday March 30, 2009 will go down in the Smith Family History as a glorious day. About a year ago we decided to adopt two kids from Ethiopia, and after 2 feet of paper work and lots of fingerprints and background checks we finally got our file complete in January. So from there it was going to be about an 18 month wait, so we just started waiting. In February we decided we needed to start praying for our kids in Ethiopia because more than likely they were alive and just waiting for us. So we did, and it was a little awkward at first, but than it got easier. Well, then about 3 weeks ago, I just kept getting this thought that we were going to get our referral soon, but I would just brush that off as wishful thinking, and remind myself that the wait was 18 months for referral...be patient. Well, Monday at about 3 in the afternoon the phone rang and I saw that it was our agency in Minnesota. I picked up the phone thinking I probably forgot to get something notarized or the likes. It was our case worker and she explained that our agency had just finalized a partnership with a new orphanage in Ethiopia in a village named Nazret, about 2 hours south of Addis Ababa, the capital. She asked if I knew about this, and I said, "yes", and than proceeded to tell me that she had a referral for us. I was speechless. Luckily she started telling me about the boys, so I could just sit, listen, and bawl. She explained it was 2 little boys 2 1/2 and 4 1/2 years old, and all their personality traits that the orphanage listed. Nathneal is the 4 year old, (Nathaniel in English, so we will probably call him Nate), and Dagim is 2 (pronounced Dageem, we will call him Dag most likely). They are so stinking cute and we couldn't be happier. I would post their pictures, but I found out after I had already emailed them to family, I wasn't supposed to yet, and that the agency will be sending me a photo that I can post as soon as they get our acceptance paperwork. Needless to say I spent the next two days crying myself to sleep. Our kids are ecstatic and Sam had an amazing spritual experience with it as well. Heavenly Father blessed me with an instantaneous love for these boys the second I saw their picture, and although we have never met I feel all the emotions of their mother. The first night I cried tears of joy, sorrow for their birth mom, gratitude for her, worry for them and that they are being taken care of good, and that they will want to be part of our family. I worry about the fear they will have when two white people (they've probably never even seen white people) march into their lives and take them away from everything familiar. Put them on this giant plane and take them to a foreign land, that smells weird, looks strange, and they don't understand a single word. Holy Crap! They are fighters though and in the pictures they still have gigantic angelic smiles on their faces. It really is a miracle, that we got our referral so quick...I guess out of the 350 families on the waiting list, they were all requesting under 48 months of age or a sibling group with girls. I'm delighted I won't have to learn how to braid hair...just a buzz for us. We really couldn't be happier. From here the wait time is between 8 and 12 weeks before we travel to pick them up. We won't know until about 2-3 weeks before, but I got lots to do before than. Bigger car, new beds, more life jackets, car seats, diapers...I love it. So from a family of 6 to one of 8 in a couple of months....EIGHT IS GREAT and we can't WAIT!